Automatic-delivery apparatus for vending unstackable goods

ABSTRACT

A vending machine in which the compartments for the articles to be dispensed are formed by horizontal flaps pivotally supported at the rear edges and supported at the front edges by cam elements which can be moved to release the respective flaps so the article in the respective compartment will drop to a discharge opening in the machine. A coin controlled actuating element is provided for actuating a ratchet mechanism that operates a slide in the machine which will move the cam elements into flap releasing position in succession from the bottom toward the top.

ABSTRACT y horizontal flaps ges and supported at which can be moved p to a discharge openg eleg a ratchet mechanism achine which will move References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Att0rney--Wa.lterBecker A vending machine in which the compartments for the articles to be dispensedare formed b pivotally supported at the rear ed the front edges by cam elements to release the respective flaps so the article in the respective compartment will dro ing in themachine. A coin controlled actuatin ment is provided for actuatin that operates a slide in the m the cam elements into flap releasing position in succession from the bottom toward the top.

14 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures United States Patent Borner et al. 4

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[72] Inventors: Helmut Borner, Solin [73] Assignee: Andreae & Mayer GmbH, Koln,

Germany [22] Filed: Sept. 8, 1970 App]. No.: 70,058

.gl .,z Z w z The present invention relates to a vending machine with a parallelepiped housing the front side of which is closed by a detachable cover or door and has at least one opening through which the goods are released. The vending machine is provided with a plurality of compartments arranged one above the other for receiving the goods to e sold. These compartments are formed by flaps which are pivotally hinged in the region of the rear housing wall and which at their front edges rest on supports orcams of an elastic bracket or yoke stationarily mounted on a vertical wall, said bracket or yoke being adapted by means of a member displaceable in vertical direction to be tilted forwardly for releasing the flap which member, after the insertion of a coin into the machine and after actuation of a latch, is stepwise movable in upward direction through the intervention of a displaceable ratchet strip.

Vending machines of this basic construction are known in numerous embodiments. Vending machines with individual compartments serve, as a rule, for receiving such goods which cannot be stacked directly one on top of the other.

It is an object of the present invention in connection with a vending machine of this type, which should be simple and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, to provide an arrangement which will reliably assure that an actuation of the machine, i.e., a withdrawal of goods, will be possible only when a checked coin has been inserted into the machine in conformity with the value of the goods to be withdrawn.

This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents an isometric view of a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the interior of the vending machine according to FIG. 1 with the door partly shown in opened position.

FIG. 3 illustrates the inner structure of the opened door.

FIG. 4 shows a portion of a partition with the displaceable ratchet strip and a slide.

FIG. 5 shows the slide by itself with the front wall partly broken open while the slide occupies one operative position.

FIG. 6 shows the slide with partly broken open front wall in the second operative position of the slide.

FIG. 7 shows the lower end of the partition with the actuating mechanism as seen from one side while some parts have been broken off.

FIG. 8 is a view of the other side of the actuating mechanism while corresponding to the illustration of FIG. 7.

The vending machine according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that in the displacement path of the latch there is provided a blocking member which is adapted in response to a coin inserted into the receiving slot of the latch to be moved out of its latch blocking position when said latch is actuated. In this way it will be assured that a displacement of the latch for releasing a flap or a compartmentfor the goods will be possible only when a checked coin has been inserted into the machine, inasmuch as the adjustment of a blocking member preventing the displacement of the latch from its latching position will be possible only when the receiving slot of the latch contains a coin, After actuation, i.e., after the blocking member has been displaced and thus the latch has been released, the coin will pass below the blocking member into a coin receiving container.

For purposes of adjusting the supporting earn, the slide is provided with abutment noses and from the front extends on two oppositely located sides around a vertically displaceable and a stationary ratchet strip while resting on said ratchet strips by means of elastic ears.

After the insertion of a coin, there exists the possibility to displace the slide always by one step in upward direction whereby an abutment nose of the slide will pivot forwardly asu-pporting cam which supports a flap so that the flap is released and can pivot rearwardly with the result that the goods supported by the flap can drop downwardly into the respective withdrawal opening for the goods from which the goods can be manually withdrawn. In view of the elasticity of the bracket or yoke provided with the supporting cam, the supporting cams are returned to their starting position after they have been released again from the abutment nose of the slide. When the slide has released all of the flaps and consequently the slide has reached and occupies its uppermost position, the supporting cams returned to their original position form obstacles in the path of the abutment noses of the slide so that the slide cannot be returned to its starting position in the direction opposite to its originally upwardly directed movement, in other words, cannot be returned to the position which it occupied all compartments were filled with goods.

Similar conditions apply with respect to the elastic ears which rest on the ratchet strips and which during the upward movement of the slide are able due to their elasticity to evade the ratchets of the ratchet strips, whereas said ratchets in combination with the ratchet ears form obstacles which prevent a downward movement of the slide into its starting position which is due to the fact that the ratchet ears rest on the ratchet strips or the ratchets thereof in downward direction.

With a vending machine of the above mentioned type, the slide should furthermore be so designed that after reaching its uppermost position it can be returned to its lowermost starting position on the same displacement path but in opposite direction. To this end, it is provided that the abutment noses of the slide are movable against the thrust of a return spring toward the interior from the region of the supporting cams and that the ratchet ears are likewise movable against the thrust of a return spring toward the outside from the region of the ratchets of the two ratchet strips. With such a design of the slide there exists the possibility, when the slide occupies its uppermost position, by means of a suitable actuating member to displace the abutment noses as well as the ratchet ears in such a way that they are no longer within the region of the supporting cams pivoted back to their starting position or of the ratchets of the ratchet strips so that the slide can without difficulties again be displaced downwardly to its starting position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the vending machine illustrated therein and comprising a housing body 1 which is of a parallelepiped shape and is open toward the front is closed by a door or cover 2 adapted to be pivoted laterally. Door 2 is by means of a hinge 3 connected to one housing wall 5. Housing body 1 and door 2 preferably consist of a blow-resistant synthetic material which will permit a simple and cost-saving shaping and manufacturing process.

Two vertically extending intermediate walls 6 and 7 extend in spaced relationship to each other through the housing body 1. The wall 7 is shown in FIG. 2 as being partially broken away at its lower end. The walls 6 and 7 define toward the center the two chambers 8 and 9 to be filled on both sides, said chambers may, for instance, be subdivided into ten compartments arranged one above the other. The individual compartments are formed in part by flaps 10 which in a non-illustrated manner are directly within the region of the rear wall of the housing body 1 by means of pins forming part of flaps l pivotally connected to the walls 6 and 7 and the side walls of the housing body 1. The pins formed onto the flaps will extend parallel to the rear wall of the housing 1 and through the walls 6 and 7 and partially into the side walls of the housing body 1 whereby the flaps 10 are pivotable upwardly and downwardly. On the side of the door 2, the flaps rest by means of their corners respectively adjacent the wall 6 or 7 on a supporting cam 11 extending in transverse direction and arranged on an elastic bracket or yoke 12 which is pivotable toward the door. The yokes 12 are respectively arranged on the front edge of the walls 6 and 7. In addition thereto, on that side which is located opposite to the supporting earns, the yokes 12 have an additional supporting cam 13 which is engaged from behind by abutment noses or abutments 15 of the slide 14 when the latter is moved upwardly so that an easy pivoting of the yoke toward the door will be effected and the supporting cam 11 frees flap 10 which will then pivot downwardly.

When all of the flaps 10 of the individual compartments in the chambers 8 and 9 are manually pivoted to their horizontal position in which they rest on the side of the door upon the supporting earns 11 of the pertaining yokes l2, and when the slide 14 occupies its lower starting position, it is possible from this starting position to successively free the flaps 10 from the bottom to the the from their support by the supporting cams 1 1 so that the flaps 10 can pivot downwardly and rest against the rear wall of the housing body 1 or can hang downwardly while partially overlapping each other. The slide 14 is upwardly and downwardly displaceably held on two vertically extending ratchet strips and is guided thereon, said strips extending intermediate between the two central walls 6 and 7. The strip 16 illustrated in FIG. 2 is arranged stationarily and forms a part of a partition 19 which does not extend over the entire depth of the housing body 1. This stationary strip 16 is on the other side of the wall 19 located oppositely to the ratchet strip 17 illustrated in F I08. 4 and 7 which is displaceable upwardly against the thrust of a spring 26 by at least a distance which corresponds to the distance between two ratchets 18 of the ratchet strips 16, 17. In the intermediate wall 19 there is provided a guiding groove 19a for the displaceable ratchet strip 17 which is held thereon by means of groove and key on both sides of its longitudinal edges. The ratchets have the shape of saw teeth tapering in downward direction.

The slide 14 extends around the intermediate wall 19 from the front and laterally and with guiding ribs 20 engages grooves 21 which are arranged at both sides of the intermediate wall 19. Theslide 14 has at both sides of the intermediate wall 19 downwardly directed elastically mounted ratchet ears 22 with ratchet hooks 22a. When the movable ratchet strip 17 is displaced in upward direction, a ratchet 18 will extend below the ratchet hook 22a of the adjacent ear 22 of slide 14 in asmuch as the ratchet hook 22a thereof will in view of the elastic mounting of the ear 22 slide over the ratchet 18. If the mentioned operation is repeated, the slide 14 will be lifted by a further step while its abutment nose 15 on the side of the stationary ratchet strip 16 actuates the next following supporting cam 14. As a result thereof, the supporting cam 11 carrying the associated flap l0 and pertaining to the elastic yoke 12 is tilted downwardly and releases the associated flap 10 in the chamber 8. In order to obtain a release of the flaps 10 in chamber 9 and in chamber 8 alternately, the flaps 10 are in both chambers 9 and 8 not arranged in pairs in one plane but are with regard to their height offset so that one flap is located at half the height of the compartment in the oppositely located chamber.

Slide 14 has a sliding body 60 which has a U-shaped portion and which by means of its two legs straddles the intermediate wall 19 while, as mentioned above, being guided in the grooves 21 of the intermediate wall by guiding ribs 20. Each leg of the U-shaped sliding body 60 has its bottom side provided with an outwardly extending protrusion 61. These protrusions 61 serve for pivotally connecting the ratchet ears 22 which to this end are likewise provided with an outwardly extending extension 62. For each ratchet ear there is provided a band spring 63 which extends around the protrusion 61 and the extension 62 in such a way that the individual ratchet ear 22 can be pivoted outwardly against the thrust of said spring 63. Each ear 22 has its top side in engagement with an upwardly and inwardly inclined abutment surface of the protrusion 61 and the sliding body 60 so that the ratchet ear 22 will be able for purposes of supporting the slide on a ratchet 18 to occupy a slightly inwardly inclined position. A displaceably mounted actuating pin 65 extends through each leg of the U-shaped sliding body 60, said pin having its lower end resting against the top side of the associated ear 22 and, more specifically, at an area which is located between the pivot axis of the ratchet ear and the central plane of the slide body 60. The upper end of each actuating pin 65 extends upwardly out of the sliding body 60 so that the actuating pins 65 are adapted to be pressed downwardly by means of an actuating lever 66 which is pivotally connected to the top side and the rear end of the sliding body 60. Actuating lever 66 rests against the upper end of the actuating pin 65.

The abutment noses 15 are in horizontal direction displaceably guided in the front wall of the sliding body 60 and comprise a protrusion 67 which protrudes inwardly into a recess of the sliding body. The protrusions 67 of both abutment noses 15 are passed over by a yoke 68 which widens in an inclined downward direction and is displaceable in vertical direction. The

legs of yoke 68 have their inclined inner sides resting against the protrusion 67 in such a way that in response to a downwardly directed movement of the yoke 68, at the front end of actuating lever 66, the abutment noses 55 can be pulled inwardly.

Between the two inner ends of the abutment noses 15, there rests a return spring 69 by means of which the abutment noses can be pressed from the position illustrated in FIG. 6 into the position shown in FIG. 5 representing the outwardly moved position when the actuating lever 66 is freed from its downwardly pressed position.

By pressing the actuating lever 66 downwardly into the FIG. 6 position, it will be appreciated that at the same time through the intervention of the actuating pins 65, the two ratchet ears 22 are against the return force of the band springs 63 pressed outwardly, and the abutment noses 15 are in view of the inclined surfaces of yoke 68 and the protrusions 67 pulled inwardly so that the ears 22 with their hooks 22a are moved out of the range of the ratchets 18 of ratchet strips 16, 17, and the abutment noses 15 are moved out of the range of the supporting cams 13 so that the slide 14 without interference by the ratchets 18 or supporting cams 13 can be moved from the top to the bottom or, of necessary, also from the bottom to the top.

The lifting of the displaceable strip 14 is effected by means of the latch 23 which is guided in the housing 27. Latch 23 rests by means of the inwardly inclined cam path 23a against the freely rotatably mounted roller 40 which is journalled on a pivot 24 connected to the lower end of the displaceable strip 17. Arranged on roller 40 lies a return spring for the displaceable ratchet strip 17, said return spring being designed as a helical wire 26 connected to the locking housing 27. When the latch is displaced in the direction of the arrow 28, the roller 40 rolls along the cam path 23a of the latch 23 in upward direction whereby the upward displacement of the ratchet strip 17 is brought about. As soon as roller 40 has reached the upper substantially horizontal section 23b of the cam path 23a, the upward stroke of the ratchet strip 17 is greater than the distance between two ratchets 18.

In order to prevent an accidental displacement, in other words, a pressing-in of the latch 23 when no coin has been inserted into the machine, the latch 23 is provided with an abutment strip 45 which rests against a blocking member 41 which is displaceable in vertical direction against the return force of a spring 42. This blocking member 41 extends into the path of movement of the abutment strip 45 and is moved from the latter upwardly and only after a checked coin has been inserted into the machine which has been checked by a coin checking device. The latch 23 is to this end provided with a receiving slot 23c for a coin A in such a way that a coin inserted into the receiving slot 23a together with the latch can be displaced. An unlatching nose 43 of the blocking member 41 extends into the path of movement of the receiving slot 23c in such a way that when a checked coin is located in the receiving slot 23c and the latch 23 is pressed in the direction of the arrow 28, the said coin will engage the unlatching nose 43 and will displace the same together with the blocking member 41 in upward direction so that the blocking member will no longer be in the path of movement of the abutment strip 45. In order to be able to displace the latch in the direction of the arrow 28, a pressure slide 31 is passed through the cover 2 which slide has its inner end engage the latch 23 while the latch housing 27 has a recess 46 suitable for receiving the pressure slide 31 so that the latch 23 can be advanced to a sufiicient extent. The pressure slide 31 is within the cover 2 provided with non-illustrated radially protruding abutments which prevent the slide 31 from dropping out. In order to permit a coin A to enter the receiving slot 23b, an insert slot 32 is provided in cover 2 and is followed by a coin chute 32a. The central section of cover 2 is reinforced by struts 33. On the inside of cover 2 and behind the slot 32 there is provided a customary coin checking device which checks the inserted coin and allows only legitimate coin pieces to pass into the coin chute 32a. Counterfeit or non-usable coin pieces are conveyed through chute 32b of the coin withdrawing opening 34. In FIG. 4, there is additionally shown a knob 35 forming a part of the coin checking device 4. Knob 35 permits the discharge of the coin when the coin checking device fails or when another disorder occurs. The coin checking device has not been shown in detail inasmuch as such devices are well known in the art and are commercially available. At the lower end of the two chambers 8 and 9 in the housing body 1 there are provided two withdrawing tilting of the lowermost flap without the insertion of a coin will not be possible.

At the upper end of cover 2 within the region of the highest position of slide 14 there is provided a viewing opening 39 which is covered by a transparent cover consisting of, for instance, plastic or glass. Through the viewing opening 39 it can be ascertained whether the slide 14 occupies its uppermost position so that all flaps have been tilted downwardly thereby indicating that the machine is empty. The slide 14 occupying the uppermost position may have associated therewith a nonillustrated blocking device which acts upon the coin checking device and blocks the latter when the machine is empty so that also a further insertion of a coin is blocked.

Coins inserted into the machine and reaching the coin receiving slot 23b will, after having moved upwardly the control member 41 for actuating the entire releasing mechanism, drop into a coin receiving container 29 so that the receiving slot is freed for the insertion of another coin.

The operation of the illustrated and described vending machine is as follows: When the housing 1 of the vending machine is in its vertical position shown in the drawing connected, for instance, to a wall to which end the rear wall of the housing is provided with connecting holes, the cover or door 2 is opened so that the machine can be filled. In this way the. entire inner mechanism and structure are accessible. All flaps 10 in the chambers 8 and 9 are manually tilted into their horizontal position in which they are held by means of the supporting cams 11 of the yokes 12. The thus formed receiving compartments for the goods are then filled with the goods, for instance, with boxes or bags. Prior to the folding of the flaps in upward direction, the slide 14 has been moved to its lowermost position in which already during the first lifting by the ratchet strip 17 the lowermost flap would be released for a downward tilting whereby the goods, when resting on the lowermost flap, will drop upon the wall of the bottom of the housing 1 and can be withdrawn through opening 36 or 37 depending in which one of the chambers 8 or 9 flap 10 is located lowermost. After this adjustment and the loading with goods, the housing 1 is closed by the cover or door 2 and secured by a customary lock 25. If now a coin is inserted into slot 32 which is such as to be passed by the coin checking device 4, the coin will pass through the coin chute 32a into the receiving slot 230 in latch 23. If now the pressure slide 31 is pressed inwardly, also the latch 23 is displaced inwardly. As a result thereof, in view of the coin A in the receiving slot 23c, the blocking member 41 will be lifted whereby the latch 43 will be unlatched so that it can be completely inserted. Roller 40 passes over the cam path 23a onto the section 230 so that the ratchet strip 17 is lifted by a distance which is greater than the distance between two adjacent ratchets 18. Inasmuch as slide 14 rests by means of the ears 22 not only on a ratchet 18 of the stationary ratchet strip 16 but also on a ratchet 18 of the displaceable ratchet strip 17, the slide 14 will by the displaceable ratchet strip 17 be lifted correspondingly so that one of the abutment noses will extend behind the lowermost yoke 12 or its supporting cam 11, and yoke 12 will be pivoted in the direction toward the cover 2. As a result thereof, the flap 10 supported by the supporting cam 11 drops downwardly, and the goods thereon drop down onto the bottom of the housing 1 so that they can be withdrawn through withdrawing opening 36 or 37. Following this operation, the latch 23 and thus also the pressure slide 31 return to their starting position and, more specifically, under the thrust of the return spring 26 which presses roller 40 and thereby ratchet strip 17 again downwardly, so that the latch 23 is pressed outwardly and consequently also the pressure slide 31. The pressing-out of latch 23 may also be aided by an additional non-illustrated return spring. While the ratchet strip 17 is moved back in downward direction, the slide 14 moves along only to a slight extent, namely until its ratchet hook 22a is by means of the ear 22 associated with the stationary ratchet strip 16 rested on a ratchet 18 of the stationary ratchet strip 16. The slide 14 will thus be in that starting position from which a new upward movement by means of the displaceable ratchet strip 17 will result in the freeing of the next higher flap 10 in the other chamber. The slide 14 thus occupies a position in which in response to the insertion of another coin and the thus possible displacement of latch 23 with the lifting of the roller 40 by latch 23 will permit the next withdrawal of goods. With each withdrawal of goods, the slide 14 moves upwardly by approximately half the distance between two successive flaps while the displacement by half said distance will suffice inasmuch as the flaps 10 in the chambers 8 and 9 are offset with regard to each other by half the height of a compartment.

The number of the compartments in the machine depends primarily on the height of the housing body 1 and the height of the individual compartments. In this connection the height of the individual compartments also determines the spacing of the ratchets 18 from each other so that with each lifting of the ratchet strip 17 brought about by the insertion of a coin, alternately a flap 10in chamber 8 and a flap 10 in chamber 9 is freed and pivoted downwardly whereby the respective goods move in front of one of the discharge openings 36, 37.

There also exists the possibility to equip the housing body 1 merely with one single chamber for receiving the individual compartments. In this instance, the intermediate wall 19 with the slide 14 and the ratchet strips 16 and 17 would have to be located near one side wall of the housing body 1 and the ratchet spacing would be twice as great. Furthermore, also the displacement stroke of the ratchet strip 17 would have to be doubled. There also exists the possibility of providing a plurality of vending machines according to the embodiment of the invention within one housing body so that, for instance, the vending machine would have four withdrawal chutes adjacent to each other.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the specific showing in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vending machine a housing having a front wall with a discharge opening therein near the bottom for articles dispensed by the machine, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending flaps in 'said housing pivotally supported on respective horizontal axes near the rear edges thereof in said housing, cam elements in the housing engageable with the front edges of said flaps when the flaps are lifted to support the flaps in horizontal position whereby the flaps define compartments in said housing for containing articles to be dispensed, each said cam element being moveable to release the respective flap to permit the flap to tilt downwardly and release the article supported thereon to said discharge opening, a slide vertically moveable in said housing and operable during said vertical movement to engage said cam elements in sequence and move the cam elements to flap releasing position, ratchet means associated with said slide for movement thereof vertically in steps equal to the spacing between said cam elements, an actuating element extending through a wall of said housing and moveable for actuating said ratchet means, a blocking member disposed in the path of movement of said actuating element and normally preventing movement of said actuating element thereby to prevent actuating of said ratchet means thereby, a coin slot in said actuating element and a proper coin in said slot being operable moving said blocking member to ineffective position upon initiation of movement of said actuating element, and coin receiver means in said housing operable to receive coins and to direct proper ones of said coins to said slot, said ratchet means comprising a stationary first ratchet strip and a vertically reciprocable second ratchet strip, pawls on said slide engaging said ratchet strips, a roller on the lower end of said second ratchet strip, and a cam surface on said actuating element engaging said roller, said cam surface being in the form of a pair of horizontal cam surfaces connected by an inclined cam surface with the horizontal cam surfaces spaced vertically a distance not less thanthe vertical spacing between successive ones of said cam elements.

2. A vending machine according to claim l in which said blocking member is vertically displaceable and is spring urged downwardly and comprises an abutment surface for stopping said actuating element and which is removed from the path of said actuating element upon vertical movementof said blocking member, a nose part on said blocking member so disposed as to be engageable by a coin in said coin slot and adapted when a proper coin is in said slot to cause upward movement of said blocking member to ineffective position when movement of said actuating element is initiated.

3. A vending machine according to claim lin which said slide comprises abutment nose means operable to engage and actuate said cam elements, and release means selectively operable for moving said pawls out of engagement with said ratchet strips and for moving said nose means out of the range of said cam elements to permit manual adjustment of said slide in the vertical direction.

4. A vending machine according to claim 3 in which said nose means is spring biased outwardly on said slide, said release means having inclined surface means thereon, and projection means on said nose means engaging said surface means so that actuation of said release means will draw said nose means inwardly and out of the range of said cam elements.

5. A vending machine according to claim 4 in which said cam elements comprise two laterally spaced vertical rows thereof and said nose means comprises a pair of nose elements projecting in opposite directions from said slide, and a spring acting between the inner ends of said nose elements, and normally holding said nose elements in cam element actuating positions.

6. A vending machine according to claim 3 in which said pawls arepivotal at the upper ends thereof on said slide, bar-like projections on said pawls and slide, and

C shaped springs clipped over said projections and biasing said pawls inwardly at the bottom toward engagement with the respective ones of said ratchet strips.

7. A vending machine according to claim 6 in which each pawl has an upper end surface abuttingly engaging a downwardly facing surface on said slide and said surfaces are divergent toward the center of the slide.

8. A vending machine according to claim 7 which includes a pawl actuating member on said slide for each pawl for moving the pawls outwardly at the bottom and out of engagement with the respective ratchet strips.

9. A vending machine according to claim 8 in which each pawl actuating member is a pin vertically moveable in said slide and at the lower end engaging the respective pawl between the point of pivotal engagement thereof with the slide and the center of the slide.

10. A vending machine according to claim 9 which said release means comprises a yoke pivotally mounted on said slide and engaging the upper ends of said pins.

11. A vending machine according to claim 10 in which said yoke has inclined surface means thereon near the outer end engageable with said nose means to withdrawn the nose means inwardly out of the range of said cam elements simultaneously with movement of fz?ill%3l lf 1%%i%2 n lg ifil lll ffiich said flaps comprise two sets of flaps-in parallel vertical rows.

13. In a vending machine: a housing having a front wall with a discharge opening therein near the bottom for articles dispensed by the machine, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending flaps in said housing pivotally supported on respective horizontal axes near the rear edges thereof in said housing, cam elements in the housing engageable with the front edges of said flaps when the flaps'are lifted to support the flaps in horizontal position whereby the flaps define compartments in said housing for containing articles to be dispensed, each said cam element being moveable to release the respective-flap to permit the flap to tilt downwardly and release the article supported thereon to said discharge opening, a slide vertically moveable in said housing and operable during said vertical movement to engage said-cam elements in sequence and move the cam elements to flap releasing position, ratchet means associated with said slide for movement thereof vertically in steps equal to the spacing between said cam elements, and actuating element extending through a wall of said housing and moveable for actuating said ratchet means, a blocking member disposed in the path of movement of said actuating element and normally preventing movement of said actuating element thereby to prevent actuation of said ratchet means thereby, a coin slot in said actuating element and a proper coin in said slot being operable moving said blocking member to inefiective position upon initiation of movement of said actuating element, and coin receiver means in said housing operable to receive coins and to direct proper ,ones of said coins to said slot, said flaps comprising two sets of flaps in parallel vertical rows, the flaps in one row being offset vertically from those in the other row a distance about equal to one-half the vertical distance between successive flaps in the same row.

14. A vending machine according to claim 1 in which said coin receiver means and actuating element are in the said front wall of said housing and said front wall is hinged at one side to said housing. 

1. In a vending machine: a housing having a front wall with a discharge opening therein near the bottom for articles dispensed by the machine, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending flaps in said housing pivotally supported on respective horizontal axes near the rear edges thereof in said housing, cam elements in the housing engageable with the front edges of said flaps when the flaps are lifted to support the flaps in horizontal position whereby the flaps define compartments in said housing for containing articles to be dispensed, each said cam element being moveable to release the respective flap to permit the flap to tilt downwardly and release the article supported thereon to said discharge opening, a slide vertically moveable in said housing and operable during said vertical movement to engage said cam elements in sequence and move the cam elements to flap releasing position, ratchet means associated with said slide for movement thereof vertically in steps equal to the spacing between said cam elements, an actuating element extending through a wall of said housing and moveable for actuating said ratchet means, a blocking member disposed in the path of movement of said actuating element and normally preventing movement of said actuating element thereby to prevent actuation of said ratchet means thereby, a coin slot in said actuating element and a proper coin in said slot being operable moving said blocking member to ineffective position upon initiation of movement of said actuating element, and coin receiver means in said housing operable to receive coins and to direct proper ones of said coins to said slot, said ratchet means comprising a stationary first ratchet strip and a vertically reciprocable second ratchet strip, pawls on said slide engaging said ratchet strips, a roller on the lower end of said second ratchet strip, and a cam surface on said actuating element engaging said roller, said cam surface being in the form of a pair of horizontal cam surfaces connected by an inclined cam surface with the horizontal cam surfaces spaced vertically a distance not less than the vertical spacing between successive ones of said cam elements.
 2. A vending machine according to claim 1 in which said blocking member is vertically displaceable and is spring urged downwardly and comprises an abutment surface for stopping said actuating element and which is removed from the path of said actuating element upon vertical movement of said blocking member, a nose part on said blocking member so disposed as to be engageable by a coin in said coin slot and adapted when a proper coin is in said slot to cause upward movement of said blocking member to ineffective position when movement of said actuating element is initiated.
 3. A vending machine according to claim 1 in which said slide comprises abutment nose means operable to engage and actuate said cam elements, and release means selectively operable for moving said pawls out of engagement with said ratchet strips and for moving said nose means out of the range of said cam elements to permit manual adjustment of said slide in the vertical direction.
 4. A vending machine according to claim 3 in which said nose means is spring biased outwardly on said slide, said release means having inclined surface means thereon, and projection means on said nose means engaging said surface means so that actuation of said release means will draw said nose means inwardly and out of the range of said cam elements.
 5. A vending machine according to claim 4 in which said cam elements comprise two laterally spaced vertical rows thereof and said nose means comprises a pair of nose elements projecting in opposite directions from said slide, and a spring acting between the inner ends of said nose elements, and normally holding said nose elements in cam element actuating positions.
 6. A vending machine according to claim 3 in which said pawls are pivotal at the upper ends thereof on said slide, bar-like projections on said pawls and slide, and ''''C'''' shaped springs clipped over said projections and biasing said pawls inwardly at the bottom toward engagement with the respective ones of said ratchet strips.
 7. A vending machine according to claim 6 in which each pawl has an upper end surface abuttingly engaging a downwardly facing surface on said slide and said surfaces are divergent toward the center of the slide.
 8. A vending machine according to claim 7 which includes a pawl actuating member on said slide for each pawl for moving the pawls outwardly at the bottom and out of engagement with the respective ratchet strips.
 9. A vending machine according to claim 8 in which each pawl actuating member is a pin vertically moveable in said slide and at the lower end engaging the respective pawl between the point of pivotal engagement thereof with the slide and the center of the slide.
 10. A vending machine according to claim 9 which said release means comprises a yoke pivotally mounted on said slide and engaging the upper ends of said pins.
 11. A vending machine according to claim 10 in which said yoke has inclined surface means thereon near the outer end engageable with said nose means to withdrawn the nose means inwardly out of the range of said cam elements simultaneously with movement of said pawls out of engagement with said ratchet strips.
 12. A vending machine according to claim 1 in which said flaps comprise two sets of flaps in parallel vertical rows.
 13. In a vending machine: a housing having a front wall with a discharge opening therein near the bottom for articles dispensed by The machine, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending flaps in said housing pivotally supported on respective horizontal axes near the rear edges thereof in said housing, cam elements in the housing engageable with the front edges of said flaps when the flaps are lifted to support the flaps in horizontal position whereby the flaps define compartments in said housing for containing articles to be dispensed, each said cam element being moveable to release the respective flap to permit the flap to tilt downwardly and release the article supported thereon to said discharge opening, a slide vertically moveable in said housing and operable during said vertical movement to engage said cam elements in sequence and move the cam elements to flap releasing position, ratchet means associated with said slide for movement thereof vertically in steps equal to the spacing between said cam elements, an actuating element extending through a wall of said housing and moveable for actuating said ratchet means, a blocking member disposed in the path of movement of said actuating element and normally preventing movement of said actuating element thereby to prevent actuation of said ratchet means thereby, a coin slot in said actuating element and a proper coin in said slot being operable moving said blocking member to ineffective position upon initiation of movement of said actuating element, and coin receiver means in said housing operable to receive coins and to direct proper ones of said coins to said slot, said flaps comprising two sets of flaps in parallel vertical rows, the flaps in one row being offset vertically from those in the other row a distance about equal to one-half the vertical distance between successive flaps in the same row.
 14. A vending machine according to claim 1 in which said coin receiver means and actuating element are in the said front wall of said housing and said front wall is hinged at one side to said housing. 